Gang Member Gets 58 Years for Murder of Venice Pastor

A gang member convicted in the shooting death of a Compton youth minister in Venice was sentenced today to 58 years to life in prison.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Windham, who imposed the sentence on Kevin Dwayne Green, said the crime had “extinguished one of the brightest lights in our community.”

Green, 31, and co-defendant Hopeton Parsley, 25, were convicted Feb. 20 of first-degree murder for the June 4, 2012, killing of Oscar Duncan.

Jurors also found true gang and gun allegations against both men, but were not asked to determine which of the two was the gunman.

Their victim was not a gang member and had been actively involved in gang-intervention efforts.

“He was a beautiful young man ... He didn’t deserve what he got,” Donald Coulter said of his stepson.

A number of those in court for the sentencing hearing wore T-shirts with photos of the victim and the saying, “Jesus Over Everything.”

Duncan was returning from dinner with his fiance when someone in a car cat-called the woman, according to Deputy District Attorney Eugene Hanrahan. Duncan was shot once in the face after approaching the car, from which someone shouted the name of a gang, the prosecutor said.

Green -- who was arrested four days after the shooting -- was on parole and had a GPS monitor on that showed him at the crime scene, Hanrahan said.

Defense attorney Nancy Sperber called what had happened “a horrible tragedy.”

She said she was not trying to justify Green’s conduct, but noted that the defendant’s pregnant wife had been murdered in a gang-related shooting.

Parsley was sentenced April 29 to 90 years to life in prison.

A third defendant, Nichole Sheran, 20, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and is expected to be sentenced June 24 to 11 years in state prison, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

City News Service

Photo: Oscar Duncan, Patch Archive